After exactly one week of burn-in, and using Signal Cable Silver Resolution Reference RCA interconnects into my personal reference HeadAmp GS-1 headphone amp/Sennheiser HD650/Equinox cable combination, and through my home system as well, this Cambridge 840c has to be the overall most awesome cd player I have ever heard! I can listen to it for hours without getting tired of its sound. I am loving every minute of going through my cd collection again, and rediscovering them, so to speak.
The sound is so smooth, full bodied, dynamic, detailed, transparent, spacious, involving, and REAL that I cannot believe it!
The highs are very extended without any harshness that I can detect, the mids are sweet, spacious, neutral, and very life-like, the bass is deep and extended.
I am VERY impressed with this unit to say the least.
Not so at first. Out of the box, it sounded sort of forward, thin, bright, mechanical, sort of metallic, and closed in. After a couple of days it started sounding too polite, laid-back, closed in, still mechanical, and sort of metallic.
This thing definitely goes through ALOT of changes during burn-in to say the least!
In comparison, my Marantz SA8001, with cd's, at first sounds more detailed, focused, extended in the highs, and punchier than the 840c, but its an illusion caused by a higher output level from the RCA outs, a sort of thinness in the highs, a forwardness, and a slight recess in the lower mids. The bass is looser and does not seem to extend as deep. The Marantz is still an excellent cd player, with a big, deep sound, but it can become edgy, and harsh with alot of recordings. It seems to emphasize string noises, sibilance, if its on the recording, and lacks the full body and transparency of the 840c. It seems to slightly emphasize detail and space, at the expense of the full body of the instrument or voice. To my ears, the sound of the Marantz is more "stressful", and not as involving as the Cambridge. Live recordings on the 840c sound truly LIVE! Instruments sound very detailed, but full bodied at the same time. Vocals sound natural and full bodied without becoming boomy, harsh, sibilant, or too forward. I personally do not notice any upper midrange lift, or forwardness at all.
Try Eric Claptons live 'Unplugged' cd for a truly mind blowing experience!
Compared to the Rega Saturn, the 840c is VERY CLOSE, EXTREMELY CLOSE, but as of now, I personally prefer the 840c.
The only real difference, IMHO, is the background is SLIGHTLY blacker on the Saturn, and images are very slightly wider. The Rega is slightly warmer, and a touch more laid-back, and slightly "sugar coats" the mids and highs. It is a very impressive CD player, buts it is very slightly too warm for my own tastes.
To my ears the 840c is just as transparent, focused, dynamic and extended in the bass and highs as the Rega, and to me the 840c sounds slightly more spacious, and more neutral.
I have not tried the balanced outputs on the 840c.
At its price the 840c is a TRUE BARGAIN, IMHO.
I cannot imagine it improving anymore with burn-in!
If it does, OMG!
I believe that Bob Harley may not have been exaggerating in his review after all.
Others out there may totally disagree with my findings, however.
The sound is so smooth, full bodied, dynamic, detailed, transparent, spacious, involving, and REAL that I cannot believe it!
The highs are very extended without any harshness that I can detect, the mids are sweet, spacious, neutral, and very life-like, the bass is deep and extended.
I am VERY impressed with this unit to say the least.
Not so at first. Out of the box, it sounded sort of forward, thin, bright, mechanical, sort of metallic, and closed in. After a couple of days it started sounding too polite, laid-back, closed in, still mechanical, and sort of metallic.
This thing definitely goes through ALOT of changes during burn-in to say the least!
In comparison, my Marantz SA8001, with cd's, at first sounds more detailed, focused, extended in the highs, and punchier than the 840c, but its an illusion caused by a higher output level from the RCA outs, a sort of thinness in the highs, a forwardness, and a slight recess in the lower mids. The bass is looser and does not seem to extend as deep. The Marantz is still an excellent cd player, with a big, deep sound, but it can become edgy, and harsh with alot of recordings. It seems to emphasize string noises, sibilance, if its on the recording, and lacks the full body and transparency of the 840c. It seems to slightly emphasize detail and space, at the expense of the full body of the instrument or voice. To my ears, the sound of the Marantz is more "stressful", and not as involving as the Cambridge. Live recordings on the 840c sound truly LIVE! Instruments sound very detailed, but full bodied at the same time. Vocals sound natural and full bodied without becoming boomy, harsh, sibilant, or too forward. I personally do not notice any upper midrange lift, or forwardness at all.
Try Eric Claptons live 'Unplugged' cd for a truly mind blowing experience!
Compared to the Rega Saturn, the 840c is VERY CLOSE, EXTREMELY CLOSE, but as of now, I personally prefer the 840c.
The only real difference, IMHO, is the background is SLIGHTLY blacker on the Saturn, and images are very slightly wider. The Rega is slightly warmer, and a touch more laid-back, and slightly "sugar coats" the mids and highs. It is a very impressive CD player, buts it is very slightly too warm for my own tastes.
To my ears the 840c is just as transparent, focused, dynamic and extended in the bass and highs as the Rega, and to me the 840c sounds slightly more spacious, and more neutral.
I have not tried the balanced outputs on the 840c.
At its price the 840c is a TRUE BARGAIN, IMHO.
I cannot imagine it improving anymore with burn-in!
If it does, OMG!
I believe that Bob Harley may not have been exaggerating in his review after all.
Others out there may totally disagree with my findings, however.